Remote control for vehicular combustion engines



March 13, 1951 w. N. HARRELSON 2,544,955

REMOTE CONTROL FOR VEHICULAR COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 18, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l WALTER N. HAERELsON.

INVENTQR.

BY ZA-W ATTORNEYS March 13, 1951 w. N. HARRELSON 2,544,955

REMOTE CONTROL FOR VEHICULAR COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 18, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

WA L TER N. HA RRELSON ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED PA'TENT" OFFICE 2,544,955 RiiMb'iEl CONT-30L FoRYEHiCULAR GOMBUSVTION ENGINES Walter Harrelson, Spartanburg, S. 0. Application 1 anuary 18, 1950, Serial No. 139,316

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an i'iibrbv'ed means for starting and stopping an internal combustion engine of an automotiye Vehicle by remote eontrol and it is the 'l'liriinai y fibje'c't of this intention to provide a control panel which ma be disposed within ones home and having means for removably connecting the controls on the control panel to the engine of an automotive vehicle disposed outside of thehome, eey in a garage, and by manipulation of the controls within the home, the engine of the automotive vehicle inal be started andstopped at will.

This is -a particularly advantageous apparatus since it is possible for a person within his hoine to start the engine of his automobile in advance of his actually using the vehicle to thus proyide ample time for the engine to become heated to a) normal operating temperature prior to the yehicle being used and 'when the perator is about to use the yehicle the removable means may be detached from the yehiclie whereupon the conventional controls of the 'yehicle inay be used in operating the 's'ame. It is well known that by starting the engine of an antoin'dblle in advance of its actually being'usec, and permitting the engine to idle for a predetermined length of time, the various working partsof the engine are heated gradually and this lends to economy of operation of the engine of the eutemetrve' yehicle. V

Some of the objects or the inv'ention haying been stated, other ob ects will fil i ir as the description proceeds when taken in connedtion with the accompanyin er'ew'mee, m which- Figure 1 is a schematic te'f) men view shewing a portion of a home and a garage adjacent the home with an automotive 'vehicle in the garage and showing an electrical connection between the automotive Vehicle and a "control panel within the heme; v s

Figure 2 is a wiring diagram showing the varib'fis electrical aiip'ara'tfi's in association therewith seheinatically;

Figure 3 is an isometr c new of a control panel afidieokmg siibstantfally along the line 3--3 in iev 1;

Figure 4 is a sc ematic elevation of the auto- Inotive vehicle loking substantially alon the line 4-4 in Figure 1 but showing same arts broken away and some parts in phantom, and showing the manner in w 'ich thewrres are conel cted to the venous parts of the autornetiife Vehicle; I igure '5 is an emerged fia "fie-eatery elevation leak ng "substantially alon the line 5--5- in Figtire .1 iuustrat'in'g e ty jiial hinged cover plate for the rem'e're pliig; v

Figure '6 is an enlarged tertical sectional iew taken substantially "albng' the line 6 6 in Figure 5, but showing the inal'e Connector removed 2 train the female connector for the electrical apparatus and showing a typical manner or mounting the female connector on the wall or theh'du'sing' for the internal combustion engine;

Figure is a 's'c'heniatic elevation of an auto niotive yehicle similar to Figure 4 but showing a modified form er the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numerals I0 and It indicate adjacent walls of "a house 9 which are shown to be of frame construction but may be of any construction and a garage broadly designated at 12 is disposed adjacent the house.

v A control panel I5 is suitably secured at any desired elevation on the inner surface of the wen l0 and has suitable controls thereon such as a toggle switch I6 a spring loaded push- Hutton type starter switch 11, an indicating incandescent lamp l8 and a rheostat 2|, the function of which will be later described. These controls on the control panel I5 have wires, to later'de'scrib'ed, extending therefrom through a suitable weather-proof conduit 22 which extends through the wall I0 and preferably passes beneath the earth and then enters through the afdjacentwall of the arage I? at any desired elevation. This rigid conduit 22 has a flexible cable or conduit 23 extending therethrough in which the wires from the controls [6, ll, l8 and 2I are disposed. It will be noted that this flexible cable 23 extends a substantial distance out of the open end of the rigid conduit 22 and has a male connector 24 connected thereto. This inal'e connector 21 has terminals from which electrodes extend, the terminals being indicated at '25 to "32 inclusive.

Referring to Figure 2, the toggle switch l6 has wires '36 and 31, connected to opposed sides "thereof, which extend through the cable 23 and are connected to the terminals '25 and 26, respectively, on the male connector 24. The pushbutton starter 'switch I! has wire 39 and 40 extending therefrom through the flexible cable 23 and being penneeted at their other ends to the termina s 21 and 28, respectively, on the male e n eete'r 2'4.

'I'he incandescent lamp '18 has wires 43 and M extending therefrom through the cable 23 and being connected at their other ends to the terminals '29 and an on the male connector 24. The rheo'stat has wires 45 and 46 extending therefrom, through the cable 23, and being connected at their other ends to the terminals 3-] and 32 wa e fi t r '24 New, referring to Figures 1 and 4, there is shown an automotive vehicle 4'! parked within the garage I2 and which hasan internal combustion engine 50 therein. The internal cornbusti'on engine 58 is of well known construction and only those parts pertinent to the present invention will be described. The engine 55 is provided with the usual generator 5! which is driven by the belt 52 upon operation of the engine 55 and the engine 55 also has a conventional starter motor 53 and a carburetor 55 for directing fuel to the engine. a butterfly valve 55 (Figure 2) therein for op-- erating the usual type of choker, the stem of the butterfly valve being indicated at 55a (Figure 4). I

A hood or engine housing .55 of the automotive vehicle 41 has an opening 51 therein (Figure 6) which is normally closed by a cover 55hinged- 1y connected, as at cm to the hood 55 and which may be held in place over the opening 5? in any desired manner. In the present instance (Figure 5),'the cover is held in closed position over a female connector 6| by a torsion spring 53, the medial portion of which surrounds a hinge pin 63a at the upper edge of the cover 55., The female connector 5! is substantially larger than the opening 5'! and also closes the opening 5'? and is held against the inner surface of the engine housing by a suitable strap iron member 62, which is, in turn, secured to the engine housing 56 as by rivets 62a. 7

A flexible conduit or cable 64 extends from the female connector GI and loosely penetrates the strap iron bracket 52. This cable 54 has a plurality of wires therein, to be presently -de-, scribed, which extend from the various electrical parts associated with theinternal combustion engine 50 and which are connected at their other ends to terminals 65 to I2, inclusive (Figure 2), which are adapted to engage the terminals 25 to 32, inclusive, respectively, when the male and female connectors 24 and SI are assembled.

Theterminals 55 to F2, inclusive, on the female connector 6i have respective wires "I5 to 82, inclusive, connected thereto. The wire 15 from the terminal I55 is connected at its other end to one side of a solenoid relay coil 83, the other side of the relay coil 83 being grounded as at 84.

When the solenoid relay coil 83 is energized, in a manner to be later described, this urges a solenoid relay plunger 85 inwardly and closes The wire 92 extends from the ignition switch I 94 and is connected at its other end to an ignition coil 55, which is a conventional part of the'automotive vehicle, and from the other side of which a wire 95 extends to a conventional distributor 91 which is grounded as at I55. The structure of the distributor 91, which is the usual type of distributor associated with automotive vehicles, is well known, and a further description or illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The wire 93 from the side of the ignition switch SI remote from the wire 92 is connected at its other end intermediate the ends of the lead wire 8| extending from a storage battery 152 tothe terminal II. conventional part ofthe automotive vehicle 4?. The battery IE2 is grounded as at I53 at its side remote from the lead wire 8 I.

The wire 15 from the terminal 55 is connected intermediate the ends of the Wire 53. The wire I! from the terminal Bl of the female plug iii The carburetor 55 has The storage battery I52 is also a is connected at its other end to one side of a conventional push-button two point make starter switch I55, to the other'side of which a wire I55is connected, this wire I06 being connected at its end remote from the switch I05 intermediate the ends of the wire 18 from the terminal 58. The end of the wire I8 remote from the terminal 58 is connected intermediate the ends of the lead wire 8 I.

The wire I9 from the terminal 69 of the female plug SI is connected at it other end to one side of the generator M the other side of which is grounded as at I01. Also connected to the side of the generator 5!, to which the wire 9? is connected, is a wire I I0 which is connected at its other end to one side or" the conventional starter motor .53. A wire III is also connected to the same side of the starter motor 53 as that to which the wire H5 is connected, and the end of the wire III remotefrom the starter motor 53 is connected intermediate theends of the wire 11. The starter motor 53 is grounded as at I iii. The wire from the terminal ii] of the female plug 6! is grounded at its free end as at H3.

The wire 82 from the terminal I2 of the female plug GI is connected at its other end to one side ofa solenoid coil I I5 which is grounded at the other side thereof as at H5. The solenoid coil Ii5 is disposed in a housing II'l, inFigure l, which is a part of the present invention and is secured as by screws I25 to the engine 50. The solenoid coil H5" surrounds a, solenoid plunger I2I to which one end 01: alink I22 is pivotally connected, the other endof the link I22 being pivotally connected to an arm I24 secured to the stem 55a of the butterfly valve 55.

A suitable spring such as thespring may be connected at oneend to link I22 and at its other end to a spring perch I26 secured as by screws I21 to the engine 59. The spring I25 normally urges the solenoid plunger I2I outwardly to hold the butterfly valve 55 in open position. I

The length of the plunger IZI will determine how much the valve 55 is moved, to cause it to be moved only to starting position.

If the automotive vehicle with which it is desired to use the present invention is equipped with an automatic choklr, then the solenoid plunger IZI and associated parts may be connected to the accelerator linkage so that movement of the solenoid plunger I2I will cause corresponding movement of the accelerator linkage to automatically open or close the choken. Referring to Figure 7, there will be observed a modified form of the invention associated with an automotive Vehicle equipped with an automatic choker and in which like parts will bear like reference characters with the prime notation added. In this illustration, the automotive vehicle 4'53 is provideolwith an engine 50' provided with an automatic choke control unit I50 connected by a link I51 to a choke valve, not shown, having a stem I52. Thechoke valve is disposed within an air intake I53. The conventional automatic choke control unit is, thermostatically controlled. A throttle valve, not shown, having astem I55, is alsodisposed in the air intake I53.

An arm I56 is fixedly secured to the stem I55 of the throttle valve and pivotally connected to this arm I56 is a rod I51 which extends downwardly andhas the other end thereof pivotally connected to a substantially U-shaped bracket I50 which is pivotally connected in the engine housing and has upwardly extending arms I651:

:thereto end or :a used 1 1'62 :connected to an random the r-solen'oid Piswitoh :lrousin'g fI I" is V mounted on the engine fhhusin'gsas by bolts I21! and the solenoid III' has'a coilrnot sho'wn like the 'coil I I5 and arisolenoid :plunger I2I which ispivotally c'oimecte'd"at -its free ehdto' a link f 2 2 whichgis pivotally connected-to -the arm I6 B-b or the bracket-1 60, the rod 115! preferably "extending through a slot in the arm itflb andlhaving the rod I-22 pivo'tally mounted thereon. A spring I86 normally urges'the arm limo-of the bracket IGD in aclockwise direction. The solenoid I I1 is connected in the 'eleetric' c-ircuit 'in the same manner-as the :solenoid IT heretofore described and is used in a like manner'except -that'it operates the throttle valveinstead of the choker.

'I'hus 'by actuating the 'rheostat 'ii I heretofore described, the solenoid plunger 12 I in the modified "form of theinven'tion will be r caused to move inwardlyto thus move the 1ink I22' tothelef-t *in Figure to'pivoti'thebracket I60 in a coun ter clockwise direction to' move the throttle valve in'the air intake I53l'toas'sist in starting there'- hicle.

Method of operation Normally, theflexible cablefi (Figures 1 and '5) depends 'fromthe r-igid conduit "22 and, upon "an operator driving the vehiclel'l :in to 'thegarage -I.2,1he'may.then open the cover fio (Figure-5 on the-engine housing 56 so as to expose the female connector .51. The male connector'24 -is then Iconnected to 'ctlrel'female connector GI :and th'eixr- 'temal combustion engine "50 of the automotive vehicle I! .may then Ibe started at any desired time from within the house 9.

When the operator desires to start the engine 50 while within the house 9, he may close the toggle switch I16 which will cause current to how from the battery I02 through the wires '8I, Stand 16, through the terminals and 25 and the wire '31 to one side of the switch I6. The current then flows through the switch 16, through the wire 36, terminals 25 and 65, and the wire I5 through the solenoid relay coil 83 which is grounded at 84 to thus energize the coil 83.

This will cause the relay switch 86 to close to thus complete a circuit-between th wires 81 =88, the :current then flowing from the battery I02 through the wires 81, 93, -88, switch '86, wires 87 and -92 through the coil-95 and the wire 96 to the distributor 91 which is "grounded at I00. This will then complete a circuit to the di'stributor.

The remote control starter. button I-1 1may 'thenr-be depressed to close' the'switch I 1 and this will 7801111518136 a circuit irom the' storage battery I02 through the wires 8-I and E8, the terminals Stand 28, 'the wire 40, the switch H, the wire 39, terminals 21 and 6-1, through the wires 11 and I I I to the starter motor 53 which is grounded at II2 to thus start the engine 50. 7

Now, in order-to further assist in starting the engine 50, the rheostat M is provided which, by

radii-fistmenhthefef;will control'the flow ofielee trreai energy to the solenoid eoil 115, the rent'tnen nowmg from me battery 1112 through the "wire 8], terminals and 31, tlre' wire 4-5, the lrhe'os'tat II the wire =46, terminals 32 fend -12 andwire 82' to the solenoid coil I=l5,'wh-ich=is fgrounded at the eth'erksi'de thereof a at I I 6. This will of course, cause the solenoid-plungerI-H to move toward the solenoid coil I to thus close the butterfly *valve 55 of "the choker to "-thIIS assist -imi'ntroducing the fuel "to the engine 50.

:In order "that the operator may know when the engine has actually "started, the=indicating incandescent bulb I8 "is' provided on the control panel "I5. When the engine has started, the generator -will be energized to cause current to how from the generator 5I through the wire I'9 ,'terminals and 29, thewir'e'43 to'the incand'esc'ent lamp I8. The circuit will then be completed through the incandescent lamp I8, the wire 44-, the terminals and "I'U and "the 'wire 80130 the ground I I3.

It is thus seen that-I have provided 'animproved apparatus for starting an engine of an automotive vehicle at a .point "substantially remote from the automotive vehicle and whichwill be of great advantage during cold weather'when the resident-of thehouse 'does not 'desi're Ito-Spend a' considerable length of time in his automotive vehicle waiting -for #the engine to become heated to a proper operating temperature.

It is evident that there are many diife'fri't ways in which the various electrical "components maybe arranged and the circuits -=therefore may be altered orco'mbiiied in a manner "different from thatshown in the drawings without-departiiigifam'the-tbi'hit of the invention, the -ciI-uit shown in the 'adbm'pafi ylng draIWiii'gS dbifsti- 'tutingonly' the preferred form of the invention.

It is thus S'El l that I have nb't billy provided a means "for remotely Controlling the *sta'r'tiri'g and stoppin of "the engine 50 of the automotive Vehicle 41 but I have also provided for "indicating when the engine 'iS 'opefatl'n'g. it is evident from the arrangeme t or the venous conductors shown in Figu're 2 that the engine may be controlled in a conventional manner 'fo'r starting and stopping the same whether ar-not the connectors 24 and GI are in-assembled position. In fact, it is not necessary to *change'the original wiring in the automotive vehicle, it merely "being necessary to add the various 'features of this invelitiOn t0 the Wililfilg 5f the it ll tomotive vehicle in its original form and the only device which should be mounted on "the vehicle "other than the electrical wiring and the connector BI is the solenoid housing I I1 and the means conn'ectin'gfthe sam to the choker.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a pre'nrred embodiment o f'the invention, and although Specific terms are eli r ployed, they are used in a generic and descrip= t'ive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the sco e hi the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim: I

1.1m enautomot'iye vehicle having an inter;- rial combustion engine and having 'a hhoke" also hav in'g a storagefbattery and being provlda with 'agnerator and "a starter m'otor, said aura motive vehicle also having an ignition system associatedwith the internm combustion engine, an electrical connector adapted to be secured to the automotive vehicle, a plurality of wires eiitend illg fIOm the "S tbra fi bhl'itiy, the 'g'illltbl,

the starter" motor to said electrical connector, a solenoid operated means for controlling the choker, a wire from the solenoid operated means for controlling the choker to said connector, a mating connector removably connectable to the first-named connector, a plurality of wires extending from the mating connector to a point substantially remote from the automotive vehicle, a control panel, a plurality of switches and visual indicating means on said control panel, said wires from the mating connector being connected to the corresponding switches and indicating means on said control panel whtreby upon moving one of said switches on the control panel, a circuit may be completed to the ignition of said engine and upon closing a second one of th switches on said control panel, a circuit may be completed to the starter motorassociated with the internal combustion engine and upon manipulation of a third one or said switches on said control panel, a circuit may be completed to the solenoid operated means for controlling the choker, a connection between the generator and the indicating means on said control panel when the mating connector is connected to the first-named connector whereby, upon the engine being started, current will flow from th generator to the indicating means to energize the in,- dicating means to indicate that the motor has started and whereby upon the engine being started, the mating connector may be disconnected from the first-named connector to thus permit movement of the automotive vehicle from .one place to another and to permit the mating connector to remain in substantially the same position in which it had previously been disposed.

2. An automotive vehicle having aninternal combustion engine and having an air intake for ,thesame and a valv in the air intake and also having a storage battery and being provided with -a generator and a starter motor, saidautomotive vehicle also having an ignition system as sociated with the internal combustion engine,

an electrical connector. adapted to be secured .to the automotive vehicle, a plurality of wires .extending from the storage battery, the genera- -tor and the starter motor to said electrical connector, a solenoid operated means for control-- ling the valve in the air intake, a wire from the solenoid operated means for controlling said valve extending to said connector, a matLng connector removably connectable to the first-named connector, a plurality of wires extending from the mating connector to a point substantially and upon closing a second one of the switches ,on said control panel, a circuit may be completed to th starter motor associated with the internal combustion engine and upon manipulation of a third one of said switches onsaid control panel, a circuit may be completed to the solenoid operated means for controlling the vaive in the air intake, a connection between the generator and the indicating means on said control panel when ing means to indicate that the motor has started and whereby upon the engine being started, the mating connector may be disconnected from the first-named connector to thus permit movement of the automotive vehicle from one place to another and .to permit the mating connector to remain in substantially the Same position in which is had previously been disposed.

3. In an automotive vehicle having an internal combustion engine and having an air intake for the same with a throttle valve disposed therein, and alsohaving a storage battery and being provided with a generator and a starter motor, said automotive Vehicle also having an ignition system associated with the internal combustion engine, an electrical connector adapted to be secured to the automotive vehicle; a plurality of wires extending from the storage battery, the generator and the starter motor to said electrical connector, a solenoid operated means for controlling the throttle valve, a wire from the solenoid operated means for controlling the throttle valve to said connector, a mating connector removably connectable to the first-named connectorya plurality of wires extending from the mating .connector to a point substantially remote from the automotive vehicle, a control panel, a plurality of switches and visual indicating means on said control panel, said wires from the mating connector being connected to the corresponding switches and indicating means on said control panel whereby upon moving one ofsaid switches on the control panel, a circuit may be completed to the ignition of said engine-and upon closing a second one of said switches on said control panel, a circuit may be completed to the starter motor associated with the internal combustion engine and upon manipulation of a third one, of said switches on said. control panel, a circuit may be completed to thesolenoid operated means for controlling the throttle valves-connection between the generator and the indicating means on said control panel when the mating connector'i's' connected to' the first-named connector whereby, upon the engine being started, current will flow from the generator to the indicating means to energize the indicating means to.indicate that the motor has started and whereby upon the engine being started, the mating connector may be disconnected from the first-named connector to thuspermit movement of the automotiv vehicle from one place to another and to permit the mating connector to remain in substantially the same position in which it had previously been disposed.

' WALTER N. HARRELSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics, June, 1915, page 831. 

